Land Systems

The Syrian Army has reportedly introduced a locally developed infrared countermeasure system that effectively defeated the TOW guided missiles used by the US supported rebels. Three versions of the SARAB active protection (soft kill) systems were introduced since late 2015, which, according to Syrian sources, resulted in significant reduction in the loss rate of its armor to guided missiles attacks.

A compact yet powerful laser weapon developed by Raytheon will soon be integrated on a HMMWV, to demonstrate its ability to defeat enemy drones, as part of the enhancement of current US Marine Corps ground-based air-defense capabilities.

The new 130 mm gun is a precondition for the future tank, known as 'Main Ground Combat System' (MGCS) being developed by Germany. MGCS is currently being developed by Germany and France as a future replacement for the Leopard 2 and Leclerc main battle tanks, considering the increasing threat posed by Russian systems such as the Armata (T-14) MBTs. Rheinmetall...

An anti-tank team of the Free Syrian Army (western supported rebels) has successfully used a TOW anti-tank missile (Raytheon BGM-71) missile to destroy a Russian T-90 tank equipped with a SHTORA 'soft-kill' active defense system.

The German defense company Rheinmetall has teamed with Austrian arms manufacturer Steyr Mannlicher to manufacture and market the RS556 - a German version of the 5.56mm x 45 cal. modular assault rifle system based on Steyr's STM556. Rheinmetall positions the weapon as a proposed replacement for the current German military assault rifle - G36 made by Heckler & Koch.

The US weapon manufacturer AirTronic USA is offering its Precision, Shoulder-fired Rocket Launcher (PSRL), anticipating future requirements for simple and effective weapon systems for asymmetric warfare in complex terrain. AirTronic USA’s answer for these requirements is the ‘Americanized’ version of the Russian-designed Rocket Propelled Grenade launcher – the RPG -- a low-cost, reusable, safe and reliable weapon system, of...

Kurganets-25 represents two members of a new family of medium armored vehicles designed to replace the BMP-2 and MT-LB platforms in mechanized formations of the Russian Army. As their predecessors, the new vehicles have amphibious (swimming) capability, enabling uninterrupted mobility across rivers. The Kurganets is manufactured by Kurganmashzavod, the plant that produced the previous generations of BMP-1, BMP-2 and BMP-3 vehicles.

BAE Systems introduced today the fifth evolutionary variant of the CV90 infantry fighting vehicle that embeds many of the upgrades and modifications designed through the evolution of the vehicle family.

In the next 10 years about 30 percent of the Russian combat power will consist of remotely controlled and robotic platforms. Uran-9, unmanned BMP-3, obstacle breaching and demining flail robot are among the new systems covered here.

Operation 'Protective Edge' will be remembered as one of the first military operations where a modern army had to face an irregular enemy mostly in the subterranean operational environment. While irregular forces have exploited the underground dimension in the past, in Gaza, Lebanon, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Palestinians in Gaza relied on their subterranean tunnel network as a battlespace - gaining mobility, communications, force protection and survivability, and denying the enemy from its main advantage - dominance in intelligence and firepower.

Facing serious threats to their armored forces operating in Syria, the Turkish Army turned to Ukraine to counter the Kurd missile attacks on their tanks. The system presented by the Turks as ‘Akkor Pulat’ is actually the light version of the Ukrainian Zaslon that has recently completed its initial tests in Ukraine and now enters an accelerated test series in Turkey. Designed with simplicity and relatively simple integration, the system is expected to be fitted soon to all types of Turkish main battle tanks currently operating in Syria.

Israel's missile pioneer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. unveiled today the latest member of its Spike multi-purpose missile family - Spike LR II. The new weapon defined as the first "5th generation" variant of the Spike Family, is designed to defeat the toughest targets in the battlefield, modern main battle tanks, fast vehicles or bunkers.

In a recent firing series held in South Africa, the German-South African joint-venture Rheinmetall Denel Munitions (RDM) demonstrated a dramatic increase in the range of its artillery firepower. The demonstration employed three 155 mm cannons with 52 and 39 caliber lengths, which scored three world records - firing at ranges of 76, 67 and 54 km.

The Russian Army is planning to begin modernize its armored and mechanized forces beginning in 2015, fielding a new family of vehicles comprising the new Armata main battle tank, Kurganets-25 armored infantry fighting vehicles, and various support platforms.